FUQUAY-VARINA, N.C. — A pilot died Friday after falling from a medium cargo airplane over southern Wake County.
What You Need To Know
Charles Crooks, 23, exited out of a plane and fell to his death Friday
Investigators still determining why Crooks exited the plane
Crooks' co-pilot suffered minor injuries
That plane then crash landed at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
Police say the twin engine turbo-prop had landing gear issues before it skidded off the runway at about 2:30 p.m.
Wake County EMS said it discovered the body of co-pilot Charles Crooks, 23, who exited out of the plane before it crashed, hours later in Fuquay-Varina.
“She heard the tree branch breaking, I've never heard of anything like it," Fuquay-Varina resident Matt Stone said.
And not because of a storm or bad weather.
According to Fuquay Varina Police, Crooks fell from the plane and landed on a tree branch next to Stone’s backyard in a Fuquay-Varina neighborhood.
“Came out, saw a bunch of helicopters around everywhere, they got lower and lower and lower," Stone said.
Police said Crooks was a co-pilot.
The surviving pilot was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
Stone says he was inside when it happened.
When his neighbor told him what happened, he went searching for answers.
“My wife and I went way back in the woods to look, got kinda close. My father-in-law got closer than us. We went and got the police. My father found a $5 bill close by, that's when police said, 'back up, this seems really weird,'" Stone said.
Stone took several pictures and videos of this tragedy, including video of law enforcement in his neighbor's backyard.
Crooks’ body was found just before 7 p.m.
Stone says he is shaken by it all and hopes the family gets closure.
“I just feel really, really bad for his family. I'm sure they have a ton of questions. I don't know what to think. I hope someone gets to the bottom of it," Stone said.
Stone's wife is a nurse. They were hoping maybe he was still alive, and they could get to him and try to help, but tragically that was not the case.
The NTSB and FAA are investigating the crash.